What happened
On April 10, 2007, a Robinson R22 Beta II, registration G-CCGF, was involved in an accident during a private flight near Skinstown, Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny. While attempting to taxi the helicopter rearwards to clear a boundary fence for a takeoff path, the pilot encountered difficulties with the aircraft's stability. As the helicopter moved backward, the pilot over-controlled the flight inputs, resulting in a seesaw motion. This instability caused the tail rotor to strike the ground, followed by the right-hand skid hitting the surface. The pilot immediately landed the aircraft, shut down the engine, and exited without injury. There were no fatalities.
The investigation
The investigation established that the aircraft was being operated from a field near the pilot's residence. During the maneuver, the impact with the ground caused the tail rotor blades to disintegrate and led to the severance of the tail boom, which subsequently damaged the tail rotor gearbox. Additionally, the right skid was damaged, and rivets were displaced on the main gearbox fairing assembly. The investigation noted that the pilot's attempt to gain height while moving rearwards, combined with over-correcting the controls, directly led to the impact.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot over-controlling the flight controls during rearward movement, which induced a seesaw motion.
- The tail rotor struck the ground due to insufficient clearance and loss of pitch control.
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor, tail boom, and right skid.
- The investigation highlighted that solo pilots lack the benefit of a crewman to monitor ground clearance during complex maneuvers.